While it is possible to use the Scheme 48 static linker for program
development, it is far more convenient to use the development
environment, which supports rapid turnaround for program changes. The
programmer interacts with the development environment through a
command processor. The command processor is like the usual Lisp
read-eval-print loop in that it accepts Scheme forms to evaluate.
However, all meta-level operations, such as exiting the Scheme system
or requests for trace output, are handled by commands, which are
lexically distinguished from Scheme forms. This arrangement is
borrowed from the Symbolics Lisp Machine system, and is reminiscent of
non-Lisp debuggers. Commands are a little easier to type than Scheme
forms (no parentheses, so you don't have to shift), but more
importantly, making them distinct from Scheme forms ensures that
programs' namespaces aren't clutterred with inappropriate bindings.
Equivalently, the command set is available for use regardless of what
bindings happen to be visible in the current program. This is
especially important in conjunction with the module system, which puts
strict controls on visibility of bindings.

The Scheme 48 command processor supports the module system with a
variety of special commands. For commands that require structure
names, these names are resolved in a designated configuration package
that is distinct from the current package for evaluating Scheme forms
given to the command processor. The command processor interprets
Scheme forms in a particular current package, and there are commands
that move the command processor between different packages.

Commands are introduced by a comma (,) and end at the end of
line. The command processor's prompt consists of the name of the
current package followed by a greater-than (>).

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,config

The ,config command sets the command processor's current
package to be the current configuration package. Forms entered at
this point are interpreted as being configuration language forms,
not Scheme forms.

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,config command

This form of the ,config command executes another command in
the current configuration package. For example,
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,config ,load foo.scm

interprets configuration language forms from the file
foo.scm in the current configuration package.

In this example the command processor starts in a package called
user, but the ,config command moves it into the
configuration package, which has the name config. The
define-structure form binds, in config, the name foo to
a structure that exports a. Finally, the command ,in
foo moves the command processor into structure foo's
underlying package.

A package's body isn't executed (evaluated) until the package is
loaded, which is accomplished by the ,load-package
command.

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,in struct-namecommand

This form of the ,in command executes a single command in the
specified package without moving the command processor into that
package. Example:
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,in mumble (cons 1 2)
,in mumble ,trace foo

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,user command

This is similar to the ,config and ,in commands. It
moves to or executes a command in the user package (which is the
default package when the Scheme 48 command processor starts).

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,for-syntax command

This is similar to the ,config and ,in commands. It
moves to or executes a command in the current package's ``package
for syntax,'' which is the package in which the forms f in
(define-syntax namef) are evaluated.

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,load-package struct-name

The ,load-package command ensures that the specified structure's
underlying package's program has been loaded. This
consists of (1) recursively ensuring that the packages of any
opened or accessed structures are loaded, followed by (2)
executing the package's body as specified by its definition's
begin and files forms.

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,reload-package struct-name

This command re-executes the structure's package's program. It
is most useful if the program comes from a file or files, when
it will update the package's bindings after mutations to its
source file.

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,load filespec

The ,load command executes forms from the specified file or
files in the current package. ,load filespec is similar
to (load "filespec")
except that the name load needn't be bound in the current
package to Scheme's load procedure.

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,structure nameinterface

The ,structure command defines name in the
configuration package to be a structure with interface
interface based on the current package.

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,open struct-name

The ,open command opens a new structure in the current
package, as if the package's definition's open clause
had listed struct-name.